Korean tech firms launch AI promotion council

Minister of Science and ICT Lee Jong-ho delivers a congratulatory speech at the inaugural ceremony of the AI Promotion Council at Naver 1784 in Bundang, Gyeonggi Province, Thursday. Ministry of Science and ICT

By Kim Hyun-bin

Korean artificial intelligence (AI) firms launched an AI Promotion Council to better grasp the lead in the fast-changing sector, according to government and industry officials, Thursday.

Minister of Science and ICT Lee Jong-ho attended the inaugural ceremony of the AI Promotion Council held Thursday at Naver 1784 in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province, along with Korea Software Industry Association (KOSA) Chairman Cho Joon-hee and Naver Cloud CEO Kim Yu-won.

"As a co-chairperson of the council, I will work actively to gather the voices of the industry, resolve industrial issues, and foster collaboration among companies to create various AI-based applications. By integrating the high-level technology and know-how of council members, including HyperCLOVA X, we will protect AI sovereignty in the global AI competition and contribute to establishing ourselves as a digital powerhouse,” Kim said.

The AI Promotion Council aims to develop Korea's AI industry ecosystem through collaboration among various domestic digital companies specializing in AI, data, cloud and software, in response to the recent ongoing ChatGPT boom. Naver Cloud and LG AI Research Institute co-chair the council, with 105 domestic companies participating as members.

One of the detailed tasks to enhance AI competitiveness announced in April was the establishment of the private sector-centered council. To foster AI industry development, the council will reorganize core infrastructure, such as data and computing resources, and plan flagship AI projects to create new markets.

The newly launched AI Promotion Council is expected to drive various collaborations, including corporate investment, new service creation, and global expansion, in response to the new era of artificial intelligence competition. The council plans to strengthen industry communication by fostering the development of the AI industry.

The ICT minister listened to the operational plans presented by LG AI Research Institute and HyperCLOVA's development status and future plans presented by Naver Cloud. He also inspected the digital convergence field, including robot cafes, robot-exclusive elevators and AI-based health screening services.

"In the fiercely competitive race for AI dominance led by big tech companies, our companies are actively joining the global competition through the independent acquisition of AI and the launch of applied services." Lee stated. "This council is an exemplary collaboration model led by the private sector with government support. We hope it will serve as a platform for consolidating the capabilities of our companies and expanding global reach, and the government will spare no effort in providing necessary support for the development of the AI industry."